Mortara Instrument to Support C.A.R.E. Foundation's ECG Screenings at Maggie Dixon Classic

December 10, 2008

Event to be held Sunday, December 14th, at Madison Square Garden

Milwaukee, WI, December 8, 2008 – Mortara Instrument continues its support of the Cardiac Arrhythmias Research and Education (C.A.R.E.) Foundation by providing electrocardiographs and support staff for free ECG screenings of children and teens attending the Maggie Dixon Classic on Sunday, December 14th, at Madison Square Garden.

The Maggie Dixon Classic basketball tournament honors the memory of former Army women’s basketball head coach Maggie Dixon. In 2006 Dixon led her team to their first ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Just weeks later, at the age of 28, Dixon died suddenly due to a previously undiagnosed congenital heart disorder.

Over 325,000 Americans die every year from sudden cardiac arrest. To help raise awareness of this disease and other heart related illnesses as well as to promote women’s college basketball, Madison Square Garden will once again team up with the Dixon family and the C.A.R.E Foundation to conduct 1,000 free ECGs during the Maggie Dixon Classic.

“We are proud to support the C.A.R.E. Foundation in its mission to increase awareness of the risk of sudden cardiac death due to acquired and heritable heart rhythm disorders,” stated Dr. Justin L. Mortara, CEO of Mortara Instrument. “Our provision of ECG equipment and expert staff enables a simple screening test to be performed and, by extension, increase awareness of heart diseases. Unfortunately, the U.S. tracks behind other countries in Europe as well as Japan, where ECG screenings are already a routine for high school athletes. Greater awareness is essential for change.”

Mortara Instrument, a leading provider of diagnostic ECG devices, will donate supplies, accessories, and use of their ELI™ 350 electrocardiographs for the ECG screenings. A Mortara team will also provide on-site training and support of the clinicians acquiring the ECGs at Madison Square Garden.

The 2008 Maggie Dixon Classic features a women’s basketball doubleheader, with local favorites Rutgers as they tip off against Army (12 p.m.). The Uconn Huskies square off against Penn State in a game two showcase (2:30 p.m.).

Mortara Instrument, Inc.

Mortara Instrument, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a leading provider of diagnostic ECG devices worldwide. Mortara’s innovative devices include electrocardiographs, stress exercise systems, Holter systems, data warehousing solutions, and cardiology monitoring systems all used to assist in the diagnosis of heart disease. The company’s web site is www.mortara.com.

C.A.R.E. Foundation, Inc.

The Cardiac Arrhythmias Research and Education (C.A.R.E.) Foundation is a nationally recognized non-profit patient organization with the mission to prevent sudden cardiac death due to acquired and inherited heart disorders in children, adolescents, and young adults. Since 1995, C.A.R.E. has made significant contributions by funding scientific research, advocating for patients’ rights, and educating the public and healthcare professionals about the risks of sudden cardiac death in the young.